Women's Bantabaa aspiration is always to tell a story that has never been told and bring a story to public that are always waving the flag of freedom yet standby silently with the concerning situation of the people, their narratives, their perspectives, their understanding of the world around them, without feeling that they are constantly defending their religious and cultural identity.

Friday, April 19, 2013

The National Assembly of The Gambia on April 16, 2013, amended sections of the country’s Criminal Code to empower the Courts to mete out stiffer punishments to persons found guilty of giving false information to public officials.

The new law which is an amendment to Section 114 of the country’s Criminal Code, empowers the Courts to impose a jail term of five years or a fine of Fifty Thousand Dalasis (about USD1,650) for a misdemeanour that previously attracted a jail term of not more than six months or Five Hundred Dalasis (about USD17).

According to the MFWA sources, apart from the stiffer punishments, the new law also classifies the President, Vice President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and members of the National Assembly as public officers.

The latest classification approved by the National Assembly is, however, inconsistent with Section 166 (4) of the country’s Constitution which does not recognise these officials as public officers.

The minority members in parliament opposed the new law describing it as draconian, controversial and inconsistent with the Constitution, the sources said.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Afri
Radio, a
privately-owned radio station on April 12, 2013 had its broadcast license
withdrawn by the statutory media regulatory body, the Independent Media
Commission (IMC), following an alleged order from President Ernest Bai Koroma.

The
decision to ban the radio station came after “various meetings held with state
authorities … on the issuance of (Afri Radio’s) broadcast license” explained
the IMC.

According
to the Media Foundation for West (MFWA)’s correspondent, President Koroma,
during a meeting with officials of the National Telecommunications Commission
on April 9, 2013 reportedly ordered the Chairman of the IMC, Rod MacJohnson, to
immediately suspend the broadcasting license of Afri Radio.

It was a
moment filled with emotions under the sunny afternoon in historical village of
Wassu, North of Central River Region, where 30 once-committed women mutilators
publically rose up to denounce the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
and surrender their sharp knives, knives they use to mutilate young girls and
ladies with.

The
first ever in the region, women danced to the rhythm of the drums and the
melodious tunes of traditional music as they denounce FGM, and promised never
to go back to what they described as harmful.

The
colorfully dressed women, paraded themseves with their hands raised up in front
of the guests including the governor and other traditional leaders of the area.
These includes Community groups, religious leaders, local leaders, FGM
survivors, youth groups, ex-cutters and individual activists and European
delegates in the country and one by one, they lay on the ground their once
much-treasured tools – the FGM knives.

Friday, April 12, 2013

30 women circumcisers have vowed to stop Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM). So, has Gamcotrap’s campaign
to eradicate this deep-seated
cultural practice been a success so far? Binta A Bah reports

The Gambia has ratified and signed international and
regional instruments on all forms
of harmful traditional practices such as the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination
Against Women or CEDAW as well as enactment of local laws to promote
and protect the rights of women and children.For example, the Children’s Act and the Women’s Act call for protection
of children from harmful traditional practices as well as educating the
population on the effects of harmful traditional practices on reproductive
health in particular.

However,
the Women’s Act has failed
to spell out female genital mutilation which is regarded as violence against
women, violates their rights and affects their health in numerous ways.

It would be recalled that Lamin Waa Juwara, leader and founder of opposition NDAM party, was appointed Minister of Regional Administration, Lands and Traditional Rulers, after last serving as Governor for the Lower River Region.

He was later removed as Minister of Regional Administrations, Lands and Traditional Rulers and later, according to sources, he was appointed Gambia’s High Commissioner to Senegal.

Count one of the particulars of offence indicated that Tamsir Onasis Konteh and Hamidou Jallow, in November 2011 in Banjul within the jurisdiction of the court, conspired to use forged documents to claim compensation in respect of Tanji Residential Layout and thereby committed an offence.

GAMCOTRAP, the leading women's right NGO will celebrates the 4th dropping of the knife scheduled for the 13th April 2013 in the historic town of Wassu, in the Niani of the Central River Region, Gamcotrap said in a media dispatch.

Funded by UNFPA, 30 women Circumcisers from 27 Clusters and 336 Communities who have gained GAMCOTRAP's experience to protect girls from FGM has pledged to make a public declaration to stop FGM in their communities.

"The advocacy to bring about positive change in the lives of girls and women against the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has impacted a greater level of awareness in the Gambia" the released stated.

Monday, April 1, 2013

The Gender Institute at the
London School of Economics on the 18th March organized a public event
to explore the Politics of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).The Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP, Dr.
Isatou Touray was guest speaker at the event held at New Theatre, East building
with a capacity 240 people.Dr. Touray, renowned
for her expertise in Gender and for her work as a leading anti- FGM campaigner
beyond the boundaries of the tiny West African country, the Gambia, discussed
the efforts being made to overcome the challenges to the abandonment of FGM.In her paper titled “The Politics of FGM: The Influence of External and Locally-Led
Initiatives in the Gambia,” Dr. Touray contextualizes Female Genital
Mutilation as part of the development agenda throughout the world. She argues that it is a development issue
because it transcends the African continent. As inter and intra racial
marriages are taking place so also is FGM an issue for immigrants in the Diaspora,
she highlighted.

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About Me

Binta A Bah is a young Gambian journalists/blogger who is excited, on the sustainability reporting front which she took as massive a headway as a career. She is the publisher of women’s Bantabaa, an online blog which focuses on human rights, particularly women’s right, press freedom and freedom of expression. She started the journalism trade with The Daily News in 2009 while pursuing a one year certificate course in journalism at Insight Training Center. She hold a diploma in journalism. At The Daily News, she rose through the ranks to become a senior judicial affairs correspondent. She has a vast experience of covering high profile cases including treason trials. She run the ‘Musoolula Bantabaa’ on the Daily News, a weekly column that focuses on women’s affairs. In 2011, she was awarded The Daily News Journalist of the year. She now works with the Standard Newspaper as an associate editor following the closure of The Daily News by state authorities.